Mystic River Celebration - One-Day Arts Festival at the Condon Shell in Medford

Mystic River Celebration at the Condon Shell on October 11

The fourth annual Mystic River Celebration will take over the Condon Shell on Saturday, October 11th. This popular afternoon festival celebrates the Mystic River, Medford, and the city’s robust community of artists, cultural organizations, and businesses. Held at the Condon Shell along the Mystic River off of Route 16 and attended by over 1,000 people each year, the event features live music and dance performances, arts vendors, local food, art installations, and activities sponsored by organizations and businesses.

The festival boasts a line-up of four not-to-be missed musical performances. Will Dailey, three-time winner of the Boston Music Award for Best Singer/Songwriter will kick-off the festival with this rock/pop-style performance. Well-known Medford-based singer/songwriter Susan Cattaneo returns to the Mystic River Celebration for the second time with her usual show-stopping delivery of catchy rock, country, blues, and folk-style music. Chasing Blue will present a toe-tapping lineup of original bluegrass music while Black Sea Salsa will energize the audience with their blend of up-beat Afro-Cuban jazz.

This arts festival provides countless opportunities to purchase, make, and appreciate art of all types. Artisan wares will be on sale by local vendors, including prints, quilts, scarves, capes, jewelry, and photography. An art installation constructed of trash found along the Mystic River will illuminate the ever-present issues of littering while promoting the importance of up-cycling materials. Along the periphery of the festival site, artists can be found producing on-site paintings of the beautiful Condon Shell, Mystic River, and other surrounding scenery. These paintings will be on exhibit later in the month at Mystic Coffee Roaster.

Local food vendors will include the Depot Square Grill, Chicken and Rice Guys, The Roving Lunchbox, CB Scoops, Mystic Coffee Roaster, and Clearview Farms.

Families will enjoy romping through the Knucklebones activity area, a photography session with Matthew Dastoli, realistic face-painting by professional artist Elizabeth Stone, taking part in the art installation, and participating in any number of activities sponsored by over 25 local businesses and organizations.

The Condon Shell is located at 2501 Mystic Valley Parkway. Parking is available at the Condon Shell as well as along Winthrop Street, though participants are encouraged to walk or ride their bike where possible. There will be no rain date.

The Mystic River Celebration is part of Arts Across Medford, a month-long festival during October celebrating arts and culture in Medford. Now in its fourth year, Arts Across Medford features over 15 free or low-cost arts, cultural, and historic events throughout the city of Medford for all ages and interests. Dance, music, theater, storytelling, painting, and historic talks are just some of the many art forms presented at events dappling the calendar of the festive month of October.

Arts Across Medford and the Mystic River Celebration are produced by the Coalition for Arts, Culture, and a Healthy Economy (CACHE in Medford, Inc.). These events are funded in part by Brookline Bank, Medford Health Matters, and the Medford Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more information about the month-long Arts Across Medford festival and the Mystic River Celebration on October 11, visit www.medfordfestival.org or visit the CACHE in Medford on Facebook or Twitter.